Coin receptacle



1945 c R'. SUTHERLAND COIN RECEPTAGLE Filed Oct. 21 1941 Patented F eb. 27, 1945 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE 2,370,204 com micEP'rAoLE Clarence R. Sutherland, Dayton, Ohio Application October 21, 1941, Serial No. 415,942

5 Claims.

vide a receptacleinto which coins of a particular denomination may be easily introduced, but which will automatically prevent accidental escape of coins therefrom while being carried in a pocket.

A further object of the invention is to provide a receptacle of transparent or translucent pliable material within which the depos ited coins may be easily observed, and which will not break while being carried in ones pocket.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coin carrier having the advantageous structural features and meritorious characteristics and the mode of operation herein mentioned.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation, or their equivalents, as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, wherein is shown the preferred but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of two coin holders embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a coin receptacle and a closure cap therefor disconnected one from the other.

Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of a receptacle showing a coin for which the receptacle is adapted temporarily lodged on the top thereof.

Fig, 4 is a perspective view of the open end of a coin receptacle from which the coins are being released.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating a modification. V

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the modified form of cap shown in Fig. 5.

Many persons adopt a plan of saving all coins of a certain denomination which come into their possession. The present receptacle is especially well adapted for such purpose. It accommodates a considerable number of coins of uniform size in a non-fragile, translucent container wherein the quantity of coins may be easily observed, which may be safely carried in ones pocket without danger of breakage, and so conmolding material.

structed that the coins cannot accidentally escape. I

Referring to the drawing, l is a phial or tube of translucent material having an internal diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the coins to be received therein, and a length sufficient to accommodate a plurality of such coins. Metal containers, which heretofore have been used for similar purpose, are heavy and lack the visibility by which the quantity of coins may be readily ascertained by observation. Glass receptacles although afiording visibility'are fragile and dangerous if broken in the pocket. The present receptacle I is-preferably formed from a synthetic resinous or other form of plastic Such tubular container 1 includes a body which is pliable and capable of a degree of distortion under pressure without fracture.

One end 2 of the tubular body I is permanently closed. At its opposite or open end the body I is formed with integral screw threads 3 for engagement of a slotted, correspondingly screw threaded cap 4. The screw threads 3 are formed by rolling or crimping the wall of the tubular body into undulating or crenate helical corrugations to receive the cap 4. While the internal size of the body throughout the greater portion of its length is such as tosubstantially fit the enclosed coins, and prevent rattle or shifting motion therein, the terminal corrugated or screw threaded portion is of slightly less internal diameter. The size is such that there will be a slight yielding resistance to the insertion of a coin. The cap 4 has therein a diametrical slot 5 through which coins are inserted edgewise.

The slot 5 is of ample width for free passage of the coin therethrough. .However, the internal diameter of the screw threads is slightly less than the diameter of the coin, which, as shown in Fig. 3, may be lodged in the open end of the container and supported thereby until upon application of pressure to the coin it is forced past the temporarily obstructing corrugations. The coin entering the mouth of the receptacle edgewise exerts pressure outwardly receptacle.

at diametrically opposite points suflicient to very of the body may be momentarily flattened or expanded at the diametrical points corresponding to the position of the slot 5. 7

However, after the coins have passed the constricted orifice and entered into the tubular body,

gagement of said parts.

they encounter, in the course of any return movement, the same restriction which prevents their escape. The coins will not readily pass through the constricted mouth, and the weight of a single coin or the impact thereof if shaken, is insufficient to overcome such resistance.

Consequently, the coins are prevented from.

accidently escaping from the container. When it is desired to remove the deposited coins, the cap 4 having been removed, the mouth of the receptacle is slightly compressed between the fingers, as is illustrated in Fig. 4. This distorts the extremity of the receptacle into an elliptical or oval shape, the major diameter of which is of greater extent than the diameter of the coins, and the latter pass very freely from the container.

The tubular body being pliable and resilient, readily lendsitself to other forms of interlocking engagement of the cap and body. The device is therefore not limited to screw threaded en- For example, in Fig. 5 there is shown a single endless .inwardly directed corrugation 6 surrounding the mouth of the ,receptacle, for engagement of projections or lugs "I on the cap in the external depression-of such corrugation. The inward projections l which are formed by indenting the walls of a slip cap, .are disposed out of aligned relation with the slot 5. They are preferably disposed in aligned .relation transversely of the slot. The coin entering through the slot 5 therefore engages the bead or corrugation 6 in off-set relation with the projections 1 and may expand the corrugation sufiiciently to permit passage of the coin into the receptacle. To release the cap for removal, the body is slightly compressed between the fingers at opposite points substantially coincident with the location of the locking projections or lugs, to distort the corrugated area out of engagement with the lugs, whereupon the cap may be withdrawn. The coins, however, will notpass through the constricted orifice until the body is distorted by compression, as shown in Fig.4.

While for commercial production a molded plastic has been found quite practical and satisfactory, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular species of such material, and in fact may bemade from a cellulose product or other sheet material, and :further that the term translucent :as herein employed is deemed to include transparent materials.

The present coin receptacle is :found quite desirable as an advertisingdevice'the-sides'of which readily carry imprinted :reading matter "and :designs. Furthermore, =while caps 4 :of metal have been adopted for commercial -production,:it is obvious that such closure caps may be of :other material. For example, vthey;may.be molded'from pulp material or from plastic materialanalogous =to that-of thebody portion, .or they may'bepre'ssed from non-metallic sheet material.

:From the above description ;it'wi1l be :apparent that there is thus zprovidedra device of the char-- acter described possessing the particular 'fea tures of advantage before enumerated 'as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible 'of modification in its :form, proportions, .detailuconstrum .tion and arrangement ofparts without departing from the principle involved .orvsacrificing any-'of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise the preferred form of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A coin receptacle, including a tubular body .of non-fragile, pliable material open at one end and having an internal capacity suflicient to accommodate the coins to be received therein, a slotted closure cap for the open end of the body detachably engageable therewith, the open end of the tubularbody being of slightly less diameter than that of a coin to be received therein and subject to distortion out of round by expansive pressure of an inwardly passing coin to permit entrance thereof and by external compression into oval form to permit the escape of coins therefrom.

2. As an article of manufacture, a coin receptacle comprising a tubular body of pliable molded plastic material closed at one end and having an internal capacity sufficient to accommodate the coins to be received therein, interior and exterior helical corrugations surrounding the open end of the tubular body the internal diameter -of which is slightly less than that of the coins to be received in said receptacle and a diametrically slotted peripherally corrugated closure cap -having external screw threaded engagement with the corrugations of the tubular body.

3. As an article of manufacture, a coin receptacle comprising a tubular body of pliable material closed at one end, the open end of said ceptacle comprising a tubular body of pliable material closed at one end, an internal circumferential bead near the open end of the tubular body, and'a-closure d-etachably'engageable therewith, said open end of the body having slightly and tube, the'open'end of said receptacle being normally restricted to such size as to prevent passage "therethrough of a coin forreception of which the receptacle is adapted and-subjectto flexing distention incident-to the pliable character of the receptacle to enable passage of a coin 'therethrough.

CLARENCE R. SUTHERLAND. 

